Multiple axes opening windows and other types of closures have found a considerable degree of success in Europe but to date they have found only limited commercialization in the United States particularly due to the rather complex operating mechanism required to permit the closure to be selectively opened about more than one axis.
There have been provided in the past operating mechanisms for opening windows and doors about all four axes, i.e. the upper horizontal axis, the lower horizontal axis, the left vertical axis and the right vertical axis. Such a mechanism is shown in the Schindlauer U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,035. Schindlauer provides two hinges on each of the four sides of his window frame making a total of eight hinges and he has eight solenoid operated plungers that are selectively insertable into these hinges to effect window opening about each of the four axes. No control circuit for operating these solenoids is shown in the Schindlauer patent.
The Muller U.S. Pat. No. 3,434,238 discloses hinges defined at the left and right vertical axes and lower horizontal axis that cooperate with axially movable pivot pins 16 and 17. The pins 16 on the left vertical axis are controlled by operator member 18 and the actuator rod 8 while the pins 16 and 17 respectively on the right vertical axis and the lower horizontal axis are controlled by pivoting operator 21 (see also FIGS. 9 and 10). The function of lever 21 as seen in FIG. 8 is inadequately shown and described, as to whether it is intended to control both the lower horizontal pins 17 and the right vertical pins 16.
The Thams U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,579 shows a rack and pinion mechanism for actuating a pivot and lock mechanism commonly about perpendicular axes and it appears that lever 17 only controls hinge pivot 7 and interlock connection 22, 23 as seen in FIG. 6.
The Frank U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,635 shows an operating mechanism for a window that permits the window to be opened about either a lower horizontal axis or a right vertical axis and this mechanism requires multiple operating members 7 and 37 to achieve the selective opening function. The Abbott et al U.S. Pat. No. 531,244 shows a mechanism for swinging a window about either a right vertical axis or a left vertical axis, but like the Frank mechanism Abbott et al require more than one operator 16 to effect this result. The Keating U.S. Pat. No. 382,707 and the Bast U.S. Pat. No. 1,160,366 also show multiple opening axes closures but in these devices the hinge elements must be individually manually operated to effect the desired result.
Thus, the prior art while suggesting a variety of mechanisms for achieving selective axes opening pivotal windows and doors, has failed to suggest a simple mechanism for achieving this selective opening pivotal movement from a single operating device.
It is the primary object of the present invention to ameliorate the problems in the above discussed prior multiple axes opening pivot devices.